Asteroid To Be Naked-Eye Visible In 2029

An anonymous reader writes "SPACE.com is reporting that asteroid 2004 MN4 will fly so close to Earth in 2029 that it'll be visible to the naked eye. Other than barely-visible Vesta, this is a first. And 2004 MN4 will be about magnitude 3.3 -- like a dim but easily visible star. A moving star in this case. You might remember 2004 MN4 is the one that sparked worry, in December, that it would hit Earth. No worries, NASA says, just a once-in-a-millennium sky show."

Comments

Now?

[solowCX]

Remind me in 24 years, my memory isn't that great.

Sweet

[ckemp.org]

My ride outta here, man. It's comin'.

Re:Excellent Chance to Test Anti-Asteroid Technolo

[xstonedogx]

We had better test these ideas on a safe asteroid instead of waiting for the day when an asteroid aimed at earth actually arrives.

I have a differing opinion on what constitutes a safe asteroid. A mistake on this asteroid could potentially be just as devistating as a mistake on one destined to collide with us.

I'd rather poke a few asteroids that don't come within 22,600 miles of Earth.

Re:Almost a quarter of a century?

[dabigpaybackski]

Or just put it in an orbit outside the Van Allen belts. A big, rugged space station there would be nice. Somebody get Virgin Galactic on this, or reshuffle the consortium that brought us the International Space Station boondoggle in favor of a truly worthy multinational project that will:

a. Give us an opportunity to explore techniques for redirecting asteroids.

b. Provide a test bed for asteroid mining techniques.

c. Become an orbiting space station.

d. Promote international cooperation.